Lion King 3D hits Sky 3D next week

Just weeks after it hit the cinema (in fact, it's still in some), Sky has announced that it has scored the rights to broadcast The Lion King 3D on its third-dimensional channel from 27 November.

Originally released back in 1994, the Disney classic was re-introduced to cinemas with the extra-dimension in September ahead of a 3D Blu-ray release.

During its 3D re-release it took £137.3 million at the box office, surpassing Finding Nemo, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and Shrek 2 to become the second highest grossing animated film of all time, behind Toy Story 3. It is the the highest-grossing hand-drawn animated feature film ever.

Sky's 3D channel is proving to be much more than a novelty. It has already shown off a wealth of high-quality content and has even formed its own 3D production company - Colossus Productions - and the quick turnaround for The Lion King proves its commitment to the format.

The successful 3D re-release of The Lion King has reportedly resulted in Disney and Pixar planning 3D theatrical re-releases of other classic movies including Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., and The Little Mermaid. We can expect to see those crackers hitting the big screen over the next couple of years.

No mention of Bedknobs and Broomsticks as of yet, we'll keep you posted.

The Sky 3D channel can be found on channel 217 - it's free to HD premium subscribers.